STAND. COM. REP. NO. 3289

Honolulu, Hawaii

RE:    H.B. No. 1931

       H.D. 1

       S.D. 2

Honorable Donna Mercado Kim

President of the Senate

Twenty-Seventh State Legislature

Regular Session of 2014

State of Hawaii

Madam:

     Your Committee on Ways and Means, to which was referred H.B. No. 1931, H.D. 1, S.D. 1, entitled:

"A BILL FOR AN ACT RELATING TO AGRICULTURE,"

begs leave to report as follows:

     The purpose and intent of this measure is to remediate macadamia nut felted coccid infestations.

     Specifically, the measure appropriates:

     (1)  $360,000 for the Department of Agriculture; and

     (2)  $735,000 for the College of Tropical Agriculture and Human Resources at the University of Hawaii at Manoa,

to research and develop methods for the prevention and treatment of macadamia felted coccid infestations.

     Your Committee received written comments in support of this measure from the Department of Agriculture, the College of Tropical Agriculture and Human Resources at the University of Hawaii at Manoa, the Hawaii Macadamia Nut Association, the Hawaii Farm Bureau Federation, Royal Hawaiian Services LP, the Edmund C. Olson Trust II, Royal Hawaiian Orchards LP, OK Farms LLC, and five individuals.

     Your Committee finds that the uncontrolled spread of the macadamia felted coccid can cause severe damage to macadamia nut trees.  Your Committee further finds that current treatment methods have been unsuccessful in suppressing infestations of this dangerous insect.  Your Committee believes that the funds appropriated by this measure will assist in developing new methods to prevent the macadamia felted coccid from spreading throughout the State and causing costly damage to the macadamia nut industry.

     Your Committee has amended this measure by:

     (1)  Changing the appropriations to unspecified amounts; and

     (2)  Changing the lapsing date of the appropriations from June 30, 2017, to June 30, 2016.

     As affirmed by the record of votes of the members of your Committee on Ways and Means that is attached to this report, your Committee is in accord with the intent and purpose of H.B. No. 1931, H.D. 1, S.D. 1, as amended herein, and recommends that it pass Third Reading in the form attached hereto as H.B. No. 1931, H.D. 1, S.D. 2.

Respectfully submitted on behalf of the members of the Committee on Ways and Means,

____________________________

DAVID Y. IGE, Chair